TS4i = The scientific secret to unlocking Secrets
When you learn how to scientifically troubleshoot & solve problems... you learn the secret to unlocking secrets.. and solving problems with a human touch
"Each problem that I solved became a rule which served afterwards to solve other problems." - Rene Descartes
The creationism of the unemotional scientific method... only dates back to the 17th Century... and it hasn't evolved in hundreds of years.
Does anybody else think... that's comically ironical... and funny as hell... coming from a science that created the Theory of Evolution?
Just saying...
This scientific methods has remained basically unchanged for the past four centuries. That's because, in theory, it's still the best & only way to objectively find proof. Five easy steps... Observe the situation... ask the key Question... establish a Hypothesis (what do you guess will be the answer)… record your measurements & Results... publish your Conclusion that proves (or disproves) your hypothesis. This is the basic foundation of science.
As true believers in creationism... and the human nature to create something out of nothing... we think it's even funnier...
we can show the evolution of the scientific method... into the 21st Century... Air Traffic Control STEM Troubleshooting Procedures
We understand that troubleshooting and the evolution of the scientific method might be new (to you & science too)… so we will do our best to make this technical process easy. We use the time tested Air Traffic Control troubleshooting procedures... to prove how the scientific method evolved... as technology evolved and grew more & more complex. This is how the scientific method evolved:
Step 1 - Scientific Method Step 2 Question was moved to the top spot and the question is always the same... What's the Problem?
Step 2 - Original Step 1 Observation is moved to Step 2... because once the core problem is identified... it must be physically observed & confirmed. A user might freak out & tell you they entire system is down!!!!… and technician observes they simply forgot to plug their headset in. The name is changed to Symptoms Observed... to make this an action item... of observing & documenting what you see. Smoke... lights out... excess heat... etc.
New Addition Step 3 - Split the Battlefield. In complex electronic systems there is always an input & output. We refer to splitting the battlefield as breaking down the complex systems into standalone subsystems... Black (output) & White (input)… know as the TX-Transmitter & RX-Receiver. The gray area is the common circuitry that supports the two... with single shared items like controls... frequency synthesizers... power supply... duplexers... antenna, etc.
The purpose for this new addition... of a system breakdown... is to speed up the time it will take to solve system problems & malfunctions. You split the battlefield when you feel the need... the need for speed. In Air Traffic Control, problems must be solved... in less than 30 minutes... or people might die in the friendly skies.
Step 4 - Symptoms Analyzed is the revised name of Hypothesis. In this case the technician must analyze the symptoms observed quickly... to determine the fastest plan of attack. In the example above... having observed the TX & RX light is out... the TX & RX sections can both be eliminated as the source of the problem. This leaves the Gray Area... the system shared by both TX & RX... as the only possible source of the problem.
Step 5 - Troubleshooting Steps is the revised name for measuring & recording of all Results. If there are 50 stages in a black/white/gray subsystem... a measurement is quickly taken at the output of stage 25 (continually cutting all stages in half to increase speed). If the measurement is normal... the problem has to be in stage 25-50. If the measurement is bad... the problem has to be in stage 1-25... and so forth & so on... until the bad stage is isolated. Next, individual stage troubleshooting takes place to find the single component that broke.
Step 6 - Trouble Found is the revised name for Conclusion. Trouble found shows how the problem was fixed. The troubleshooting procedures & solution are recorded for historical purposes... in case it becomes a reoccurring problem in the equipment... and the component or stage must be reengineered... to permanently fix the problem.
We'd bet our bottom dollar that "do no harm" science, medical doctors, have perfected troubleshooting procedures & will back us up on the theory of the scientific troubleshooting evolution. We imagine doctors split the battlefield into three groups like... the heart (output)… lungs (input)… the brain (shared system)… so they can solve critical problems quickly... in the most complex system in the universe... the human body. We understand that troubleshooting is not rocket science... but it is an exact science... when it comes to caring for people... & working under a time crunch to solve complex problems. Knowing how to troubleshoot is the best kind of "do no harm" science in the world.
Now that we have proven how the original scientific method did in fact evolve... we can now show how science has failed to EVOLVE...
yet with the help of TS4i... science can still evolve... and bring human emotions into the scientific equation.
You'll see the primary change occurs in Step 1 by asking a person or people... human beings... four emotional questions.
Having worked in air traffic control maintenance for over 20 years... without a single broken down equipment related death using the scientific method of troubleshooting... we came to an interesting conclusion. Fixing complex electronics systems is extremely difficult... because the parts & components are literally... dumber than a bag of hammers. The parts that make up the system can't speak... they can't tell you they feel bad... they can't let you know when they're broken or tired. We always wondered what troubleshooting would be like... if the working components could speak.
Turns out people, human beings, can talk & share their feelings. People have problems, wants, needs & ideas... so it got us thinking scientifically about the unthinkable. What if we used a scientific method... to troubleshooting people problems... like Dr. Kubler-Ross in 1969 when she asked dying people how it felt? What if we ask people... face-to-face & heart-to-heart... HOW THEY FEEL... about something or anything? In other words, what if we could use the scientific method to capture human emotions... use this emotional intelligence to identify complex problems... knowing that solving these problems would make people feel better?
We made a few minor adjustments to Air Traffic Control troubleshooting procedures by adding three more QUESTIONS to Stage 1 What's the problem? We added What do you Need?, What to you Want? & What ideas do you have? We used this procedure in large groups. If there were two hundred people we recorded and grouped all the problems... all the needs... all the wants... all the ideas into groups.
In the process, we OBSERVED THE SYMPTOMS of the emotional climate of the group... often seeing intense anger and frustration. We found that asking what problems they had... was like a release value for a balloon filled with anger... that was finally given a chance... to let off steam. We also discovered that those with a preference for training... unleashed their problems like a fastball. Those with a preference for education... had few problems but a lot of needs. (Problems & needs directed us to the same thing... like I have a f**king problem with my check!... vs.... I need help fixing my direct deposit)
Once all the problems, needs, wants & ideas were bundled into like categories... we were able to SPLIT THE BATTLEFIED into subsystems of the overall system. This allowed us to move to SYMPTOMS ANALYZED... of the things we could do... to solve problems... meet needs... satisfy wants... using the incredible ideas that were handed to us on a silver platter.
The step or stage we unfortunately had to add... is called OBSTACLES. They truth is... there are major hurdles to solving major problems. These barriers to innovation & improvement... still need to be recorded... with the hope one day... they come crashing down.
The final two parts... TROUBLESHOOTING STEPS & TROUBLE FOUND are the stages that offer the greatest rewards. Every problem solved leads to an innovation... every need met leads to vast improvement... every want satisfied feeds a hunger... every new idea implemented opens the flood gates to an entrepreneurial spirit... all of which can to be by treating people like human beings. It is the hopes & dreams of being surrounded by people with integrity.
Understanding what we mean... when we tell you great troubleshooting begins... when you split the battlefield. Innovation is found in the gray area... that separates... two similar yet opposing parties.
Understanding the driving forces of innovation...
when it comes to discovering the 3 different kinds of innovation.
Unlocking secrets to learning... to leadership... of management... to troubleshooting...to integrity... and Happiness
In our final conclusion concerning the huge benefits of troubleshooting... we think the most significant contribution... is the ability of troubleshooting... to UNLOCK SECRETS. Problem solving is the ultimate search for the truth. It exposes secrets & never fails... to show us a better way.
Next, we used TS4i & discovered the secrets to learning... after observing all the problems in our outdated factory education system. We split the battlefield between education & training... and discovered in the gray area... the common item that connects the two... which is Pioneering (learning how to learn). Next, were able to discover the secret to leadership... through the learning & leadership link... which finally showed three unique styles of leadership... but more important... it also displayed three action agents that are too often taken advantage of. It is those pioneers & volunteers... who can do it... figure it out... and know it.
On the flip side of the learning & leadership link... we also dug up the buried secrets OF management... the emperor who wears no clothes... self-appointed kings & queens who sit on the sidelines... trapped in the known... controlling & judging other people. We found no links between leadership & management... proved they are miles apart... that managers who call themselves leaders are... a joke. We exposed sideline management for what it is... a detriment to learning & innovation. Managers are the opposite of pioneers... they're settlers scared to death... to move outside the sanctity of their castle. This revelation strips away the offensive management characterization of "you are either a leader or follower"... giving pioneers the respect that they deserve... respect they have earned. Management has no idea... true leaders only have pioneers & volunteers.
Speaking of the many secrets OF management... when you troubleshoot the difference between leadership & management... you uncover that management is cloaked in secrets. Secrets that are covered up because they threaten managements TURF. You discover that management rules state that... the "followers"... the "subjects"... the "servants"... the "surfs"... have no say and need to shut up & listen. This gives us the perfect Segway into TS4i (troubleshooting for innovation, improvement, ideas & integrity). The secret to troubleshooting... it exposes any & all coverups.
Want to know who the bully is at a school or work before they hurt someone. Interview all the students/employees beforehand and ask them what problems they have, want do they need, what do they want and what ideas they have to make the school/workplace better. Want to know the people who are dishonest & brutally mean? Give the subjects/servants a voice. Want to know who is a sexual predator? Give the subjects/servants a voice. Want to know about all the back office deals that are questionable? Give the subjects/servants a voice by troubleshooting and interviewing them one by one. Every problem solved brings innovation. Every need met brings improvement. Every want satisfied feeds a hunger. Every new idea implemented brings a sense... that we are all in this together. The question has never been... how can we innovate & improve? The real question is how do we breakdown the barriers to innovation & improvement? The answer is you never will... until you know for certain... what are the current problems that have to be solved, the current needs that must be met and wants that need to be satisfied? Otherwise, all your doing is throwing ideas against the wall hoping one of them sticks. That ain't science. Science solves problems.
Which brings us to the fourth i...integrity. Troubleshooting... or problem solving...especially when it comes to dealing with the humanity... demands the highest quality of honesty & morality. We would argue that the secret to integrity is a two part testament that distinguishes Mankind from every other species. The first act of integrity occurs when Mankind displays truthful & ethical behavior. The second act of integrity is solidified when Mankind is seen as being whole & undivided in solidarity. TS4i helps maintain integrity by rooting out dishonesty, corruption & division.